One of the major issues facing dentists, patients and patients wallets is that the majority of us don’t visit the dentist on a regular basis. According to research from NHS Digital (previously the Health and Social Care Information Centre) half of UK adults haven’t been to the dentist in the last two years. More than a quarter of adults only visit the dentist when they have a problem.

The infrequency and irregularity of dental check-ups is causing a huge number of problems for us. The facts say a lot here with 31% of adults having tooth decay, 66% of us having visible plaque and 29% of the population suffering from regular pain in the mouth or teeth.

How Often Should You Visit the Dentist

Both adults and children should visit the dentist regularly, as often as they recommend. For those with certain medical conditions, your dental team may want to see you more often. At Smart Dental Care we like to see our patients at least every 6 months, and often rebook our patients to ensure that they have an appointment in the diary as part of our Oral Health Care to patients.

Why Dental Check Ups Are So Important

The problem we have is that many of us ignore the health of our mouth, especially when we compare it to our overall body health. We allow problems to develop before we actually visit the dentist.

There are a wide number of issues this creates but we have listed the two most common issues left unchecked;

Tooth Pain

Tooth pain is most often caused from cavities forming. Once a cavity reaches the stage where it is causing pain then root canal treatment (or possibly tooth loss) is more likely, or an extensive filling. Regular check-ups ensure that the beginnings of a filling can be identified, treated and additional brushing routines created.

Overall dental check-ups will dramatically decrease the potential for all oral health problems becoming serious. They are also cost effective compared to paying for expensive major dental works such as tooth replacements, crowns and gum repair.